1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording medium searching method and a recording medium processing device. In particular, this invention relates to a method and device in which record position information of an event recorded in a recording medium is stored in memory means provided on the recording medium, and the event recorded in the recording medium or a blank portion of the recording medium is searched. using the record position information recorded in the memory means.
2. Background of the Invention
Heretofore, in the case that an event is recorded in a recording medium, for example, in the case that a program is recorded in a video cassette, the position of a program is searched to reproduce the desired program out of recorded programs, or a blank portion, namely the position where a program is not recorded or a record position of an unnecessary program, is searched to record a new program.
In such operation for searching a program or blank portion, fast feeding and rewinding or fast reproduction and rewinding reproduction of a video tape are repeated to detect the position with viewing the displayed image. Alternatively, an index signal is recorded in a control track of a video tape when recording of a program starts, and the index signal is used for searching the position of the desired program.
Neither by the method for detecting the position with viewing the displayed image while fast feeding and rewinding or fast reproduction and rewinding reproduction of a video tape are repeated nor by the method which uses an index signal, a record position of a program or a blank portion can not be searched easily unless the record position of a desired program or the position of a blank portion is kept in memory.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording medium searching method and a recording medium processing device using this method which are capable of searching easily an event recorded in a recording medium and a blank portion of a recording medium precisely.
In a recording medium searching method in accordance with the present invention, a memory means is provided on a recording medium, the record position information of an event recorded in the recording medium is stored in the memory means, and searching is operated using the record position information stored in the memory means when the event recorded in the recording medium or an blank portion of the recording medium is searched.
A recording medium processing device is provided with an information read out means for reading out the record position information of an event recorded in a recording medium from a memory means provided on the recording medium, a reproduction means for reproducing the recording medium, and a control means for controlling operation of the information read out means and the reproduction means, wherein when an event recorded in the recording medium or a blank portion of the recording medium is searched, the control means controls the information read out means to read out the record position information from the memory means, and controls the reproduction means so as to search using the read out record position information.
In the present invention, the record position information of an event to be recorded in this recording medium is stored in the memory means provided on the recording medium, and when, for example, a program recorded in the recording medium or a blank portion of the recording medium is searched, searching is operated using the record position information stored in the memory means. In the program searching operation for searching a program recorded in the recording medium, a detection area is set based on the record position information, the position where a control signal recorded with the program or an index signal recorded when the program recording is started is detected from the trailing side of the detection area, and the position of the program is detected based on the position detected first.
On the other hand, in the blank searching operation for searching a blank in the recording medium, a detection area is set based on the record position information, the position where the control signal is lost or the index signal of an unnecessary program is detected, and the position of the blank is detected based on the position detected first.